1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to moisture management of textiles.
2. Description of Prior Art
In the design of textile fabrics, or layers of fabrics as used in diapers, the manner in which moisture is absorbed, distributed and evaporated from the fabric is varied by changing the materials and/or the. structure. For various fabric applications in rainwear, sports equipment, medical dressings, incontinence pads and so forth, different properties, or combinations of properties or characteristics are required. Broadly stated, such applicable properties and characteristics are already known or empirically provided in practice. However, no satisfactory testing methods or equipment are available for scientifically measuring or testing fabrics, especially for complex fabrics.
It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least reduce this problem.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of determining moisture management indexes of a planar textile fabric piece by pouring a quantity of liquid onto an area of an upper surface of the piece, measuring changes in electrical resistance through the piece and within a plurality of laterally disposed electrically enclosed areas of upper and lower surfaces of the piece, and, based on the electrical resistances, computing indexes:
(i) S1 and S2, being accumulated liquid absorption of the upper surface of the piece and the lower surface of the piece, respectively; and
(ii) H, being maximum difference of water content at the upper and lower surfaces.
The method may include computing an index R, the relative difference In accumulated water content between the upper and lower surfaces of the textile piece, being equal to a ratio   R  =                    S        2            -              S        1                    S      1      
The method may include computing indexes K1 and K2, the initial liquid absorption speeds at the upper and lower surfaces, respectively.
The method may also include computing indexes xcex11 and xcex12, the drying rates at the upper and lower surfaces, respectively.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided equipment for computing specific indexes relating to moisture management of a planar textile piece of fabric material comprising:
a pair of opposed plates having an array of corresponding exposed opposed electrodes displaced at intervals from one another to form pairs of electrodes between which a piece of fabric can be held,
means connected to the electrodes for measuring changes in electrical resistance through the piece and developed laterally across electrically enclosed areas of upper and lower surfaces of the piece,
means for recording those changes in electrical resistance with respect to time, and
means for computing the indexes.
The electrodes are concentric electrical conductive rings displaced about a central region.
The equipment may include means for adjusting separation of the plates so as to apply different pressure to a fabric piece supported between the plates.
The electrodes may each be laid out rectangularly in plan over increasing surface areas about a central region.